A dog tag that belonged to Alfred T. Cabral was recently found on a beach in Nettuno , Italy. Nettuno and the adjoining city of Anzio were where the beach landings of WWII's Italian campaign took place. An Italian gentleman who found it brought it to the cemetery thinking perhaps it might belong to someone buried here. (Courtesy Photo)

WWII Army captain sheds more light on veteran tied to dog tag

Staff Report

A World War II veteran whose dog tag was discovered recently in Italy fought in four campaigns in Italy and France in the 15th Infantry Regiment, according to a New London veteran who served in the same regiment.

The dog tag belonged to Alfred T. Cabral, who served as an Army private during World War II, according to Forster Boardman, a former captain in the regiment.

Boardman said he checked his division history and found Cabral's rank, though, he doesn't remember him personally.

"Cabral must have been awarded the Combat Infranty Badge plus at least four Battle Stars awarded the division," Boardman said. "This would have been in addition to the Presidential Unit Citation for its action in France."

Boardman on Tuesday said he read the story about Cabral in Monday's New Hampshire Union Leader that quoted Cabral's oldest son, Joe, who lives in New Boston.

"I just thought his family would want to learn a little bit more about him," Boardman said.

Cabral, now 88, and living in a nursing home near Worcester, Mass., was part of the Allied forces that landed at the Anzio beachhead in Italy on Jan. 22, 1944. A man walking on a beach in Nettuno recently found the dog tag and turned it in to a local military cemetery.

Cabral, who earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, stepped on a land mine buried in deep snow in France in January 1945, nearly taking off his left foot.

"That was a pretty rough period of time," Boardman said. "Not many people got out of there in one piece."